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UK: 'No scientific test' for drug drivers Steven Bell The Courier, Dundee Tuesday 20 Mar 2007 TAYSIDE’S MOST senior police officer conceded last night that some drug drivers are 'escaping justice' because there is no scientific test to catch offenders at the roadside. Chief Constable John Vine is calling for more to be done to detect those who put lives at risk by getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs. He was speaking ahead of a major conference in Edinburgh today which will investigate the way forward for road policing in Scotland. Mr Vine, the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland spokesman on road policing, said, 'We know that some offenders are escaping justice because there is no scientific test capable of catching drivers who are under the influence of drugs. 'We have very limited powers. It is quite frightening when you realise they are driving under the influence of drugs and there is no single test to catch them.' Mr Vine added, 'Since 2001, the only method we have is to use field impairment tests to detect if drivers have been taking drugs. Suspected drug drivers perform physical tasks to test their co-ordination. 'A blood test can then be taken at a police station if the officer suspects guilt.' Mr Vine is also keen to see stiffer penalties for persistent drink drivers to help reduce the number of serious accidents on the country’s road network. In Scotland in 2005, 286 people were killed on the roads, including 34 children. A further 2652 people were seriously injured. Mr Vine said that despite a downward trend in casualty figures in Scotland, there was still a lot of work to be done. He continued, 'Of interest is that in terms of road deaths, Scotland is performing better than the UK as a whole in lowering figures. In 2005 in Scotland the reduction was 24% against the UK-wide average of 11%. 'Despite the good work and improvements in casualty figures over the years, one weekend in January resulted in 15 people being killed within a 42-hour period on Scotland’s roads. 'This alarming and tragic figure illustrates the reason why road policing still has such an important part to play within modern-day policing. 'That is why we are always looking at new ways in which we can both educate motorists about road safety and catch those who flout the law, whether that is by drink driving, drug driving, speeding, using their mobile phone whilst driving, not wearing a seat belt, or simply driving without a licence or insurance.' Members of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents will meet at the Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh today as part of a UK Policing conference. Delegates will hear from a number of high-profile speakers from the public and private sectors, including a keynote speech by Sir Tom Farmer on the impact of road policing on business and the community. Representatives from the Road Haulage Association, the RAC Foundation, and BRAKE, will also give inputs, while Michelle and Andrew Sneddon from Glenrothes will talk about their personal tragedy on Scotland’s roads. Their five-year-old son Ross was killed by a speeding drink driver in Glenrothes in 2004. The man responsible for causing his death pled guilty and was subsequently sentenced to 11 years in prison. Chief Superintendent Clive Murray, Tayside-based president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, said, 'The delegates who are gathering at the conference will be able to throw open the debate on the way forward for policing Scotland’s roads and how we can best achieve our goals.'
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